From this winter, landlords in England who let property on an assured or regulated tenancy will need to register themselves, and every property they let, on a new government database. It forms part of the second phase of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. For landlords with property in Northampton and across Northamptonshire, the deadline to register is 14 May 2027.
That might sound a long way off. But registration asks for quite a lot of paperwork, and if a certificate has lapsed or gone missing, it’s much easier to deal with in the months ahead than in the final week. Here’s what the service is, who it applies to, what it costs and what you’ll need to have ready.
What is the ‘Register your rental property’ service?
It’s an online register run by the government. Landlords enter their own details and the details of each rental property, including the rent, the number of people living there and copies of the property’s safety certificates. Each registration has to be renewed every year.
The register serves three groups:
- Landlords get a clear way to show they’re meeting their legal obligations.
- Councils get a better picture of who is letting what, so housing officers can target landlords who are breaking the rules.
- Tenants will, in future, be able to check whether a landlord is compliant before agreeing to rent. The government has said it will publish details of what the public will be able to see at a later date.
Who needs to register?
You must register if you’re the landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy and the property is currently let, or becomes let during the rollout period.
For now, you don’t need to register:
- Empty properties. This will change. Under future legislation, unoccupied properties will need to be registered before you or your agent market them, and adverts will need to show your unique landlord and property identifiers. Further guidance is due before this comes in.
- Supported exempt accommodation, as set out in Section 12 of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.
When do Northamptonshire landlords need to register?
The service is being introduced one region at a time, starting with the West Midlands on 15 December 2026. Northamptonshire is in the East Midlands, where the legal requirement to register begins on 15 February 2027. From that date you have three months to register, so the deadline is 14 May 2027. After that, councils in the region can begin enforcement action.
You don’t have to wait until February. The service opens on 15 December 2026 and you can register any time from then.
The deadline depends on where the property is, not where you live. If you live in Northampton but own a flat in Birmingham, that flat has to be registered by the West Midlands deadline of 14 March 2027. If your properties are spread across different regions, you can register them all at the same time.
| Region | Requirement to register begins | Deadline to register |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 December 2026 | 14 March 2027 |
| East of England | East of England | 14 April 2027 |
| East Midlands (including Northamptonshire) | 15 February 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 15 March 2027 | 14 June 2027 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 15 April 2027 | 14 July 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 August 2027 |
| North East | 15 June 2027 | 14 September 2027 |
| London | 15 July 2027 | 14 October 2027 |
| South West | 15 August 2027 | 14 November 2027 |
How much does it cost?
- £65 per property, per year. The fee applies to each property separately, so a landlord with three properties would pay £195 a year at the full rate.
- Renewal every year. Registration isn’t a one-off; you’ll need to renew annually.
- Pro-rated during rollout. The fee is adjusted while the service is being introduced, so landlords who register first don’t end up paying more.
According to the government, the fees will cover the cost of running the service and help councils fund the staff and skills needed to tackle landlords who don’t follow the rules.
What information will you need?
You’ll sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. The information you’ll be asked for falls into five areas:
| Area | What you’ll be asked for |
|---|---|
| About you | Your name, date of birth, residential address, phone number and email address. |
| The property | The address, ownership type, property type, number of bedrooms and whether it’s currently let. You’ll also need a correspondence address in England or Wales (not a PO Box) and contact details for any freeholder, superior landlord or property manager. |
| The tenancy | How many people and households live there, whether it’s let furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished, and the numbers of any HMO, additional or selective licences. |
| The rent | The rent charged, how often it’s paid and whether any utilities are included. |
| Safety certificates | Your gas safety record and its issue date (if there’s a gas supply), your EICR or EIC and its expiry date, and your most recent EPC where you were required to give one to the tenant. If the EPC rating is below the minimum standard, you’ll need to say whether a MEES exemption is registered. |
Companies, charities, trusts and other organisations will need to give extra details, such as a Companies House or charity number and information about directors or trustees. If you’re registering on someone else’s behalf, for example under a power of attorney, as an executor or as a court-appointed deputy, you’ll need to supply a certified or sealed copy of the document that gives you authority to act.
What if you use a letting agent?
Having an agent doesn’t take registration off your hands completely. The landlord has to start the registration process personally. Your letting agent or property manager will be able to upload certain information for you, and the government plans to publish guidance on exactly what that covers before the service launches.
The important point is that the legal responsibility stays with you. Even if your agent supplies some of the details, it’s the landlord who must make sure everything required has been provided.
What happens if you don’t register?
Landlords who don’t register their properties risk a fine, and councils can start enforcement once the regional deadline has passed. With tenants due to gain access to the register in future, being properly registered will also count when you come to find your next tenant.
If you’d find it hard to register online, offline registration routes will be available, and there will be a dedicated contact centre for help with registering or renewing once the service is running.
Getting ready: a simple checklist
None of this has to be done today, but working through the list below now will make registration a quick job when the time comes.
- Set up a GOV.UK One Login if you don’t already have one.
- Make sure you have a copy of a current gas safety record for each property with a gas supply, and note the issue date.
- Find your EICR or EIC and note when it expires.
- Check your EPC. If it has expired, have the start date of the current tenancy to hand. If the rating is below the minimum standard, check whether a MEES exemption is registered.
- Gather the numbers of any HMO, additional or selective licences.
- Confirm the rent, how often it’s paid and which utilities, if any, are included.
- Note how many people and households live in each property, and whether it’s let furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished.
- Have contact details ready for any freeholder, superior landlord or property manager.
- Budget £65 per property, per year.
Speak to Chelton Brown
If you let property in Northampton, Daventry or elsewhere in Northamptonshire and have questions about the new register, or about the Renters’ Rights Act more generally, the Chelton Brown team is happy to talk it through. Give either of our offices a call to arrange a time with us.
Northampton Office
4/5 George Row, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DF
Tel: 01604 603433
Daventry Office
59 High Street, Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 4BQ
Tel: 01327 879431
